QUINCY, California – Never skip a Patagonia film. If there’s two things that define the California based outdoor apparel company, it’s good quality clothing and good quality conservation efforts, and any film they produce typically reflects that. Their newest, Fire Lines, focuses on the recovery of the Lost Sierra communities following the devastating Dixie Fire in 2021, with work centered around mountain bikes and trails.
“In northern California, climate change and 150 years of forest mismanagement have led to some of the most catastrophic wildfires in the state’s history—including the Dixie Fire, which in 2021 devastated the Lost Sierra’s already struggling communities. In the face of that destruction, one group turned to trails for hope and to the past for a better future.“
Through the 2021 Dixie Fire, over 1,300 buildings were destroyed, and 12,000+ people were forced to evacuate. It burned 963,309 acres, leaving multiple downs in ash. For the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship (SBTS), the fire meant the destruction of over 200 miles of trails, drying up thousands of dollars in grants and forcing a large layoff of 59 people. A crew of 72 dropped down to just 13 in one night.
But after the fire, the SBTS crew got back to work, rebuilding what was destroyed, and given the damaged landscape a new life. You can read more about their experience here.